The back-to-school commercials are running. Mercilessly. Chances are, you’re reading this from a dorm room (or off-campus apartment, aren’t you fancy?) on a break between classes or reading assignments. Summer’s reign is truly coming to an end, and along with that comes the death knell of a new-to-me summer staple: the CSA.

My office building decided to take part in a summer CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture, for those of you who hail from areas less populated by hipsters and/or farmers) this year, and a coworker and I pooled our resources to take half a vegetable share. So, …

Nut butter is an essential for any kitchen. I like to spread it on toast, plop it into smoothies, swirl it into baked goods, and admittedly eat it by the spoonful. The decadence is unparalleled by any plant food. Peanut butter has a certain childhood sweetness to it, while almond butter has some grown-up heft. Coconut butter is creamy and exotic, and cashew butter is a great alternative to classic nut spreads. Traditional roasted nut butter is still good for ya, but for the greatest health benefits you’ve …

Welcome to a new summer weekly installment at SKC called Big Apple, Small Basket. Check back to read more about Kendra’s adventures in finding, maneuvering and cooking summer dishes from the many farmers’ markets in New York City. Click for Week #1, Week #2, and Week #3. …

The San Francisco version of the subway is called BART, an acronym for Bay Area Rapid Transit (the train’s real name) and also Bay Area Rides Together, which is its advertising slogan. Unfortunately for the people who named and advertise for BART, neither thing is particularly accurate. First, BART

My newest obsession is Community Sustained Agriculture, or CSA. A CSA is program in which the member pays for a share of the local harvest in spring or fall upfront so farmers can buy supplies in the winter to start growing in spring. In turn, members get their “repayment” of produce from the farm weekly or bi-weekly during the harvest season.

Traditionally, a CSA was created when a group of neighbors got together to buy a farm and hire a farmer. They then split the harvest among themselves. It was like having your own personal farm without having to …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

My room as a child was colored mint green. Before my arrival, my parents had decided not to find out whether I would be a “Peter” or a “Bethany,” so they went with a gender neutral green paint color for my nursery. However, the pink butterfly wallpaper suggests to me that they might have had a strong …

All hail zucchini. It’s proven to be one of the most versatile summer foods, although often under-appreciated.

Maybe even you don’t think about zucchini that much. It doesn’t fit as naturally into summer salads as asparagus, spinach, and even kale. It’s a squash, but it’s not creamy and sweet like winter squashes. Perhaps you might confuse it with the cucumber from far away in the produce section. Zucchini can be temperamental: the shelf life is relatively short, and the vegetables quickly develop mold and sunken pits if not used within 3-4 days. But what a vegetable! Read on…

Welcome to a new summer weekly installment at SKC called Big Apple, Small Basket. Check back to read more about Kendra’s adventures in finding, maneuvering and cooking summer dishes from the many farmers’ markets in New York City. Click for Week #1 and Week #2.

People told me New York City would be expensive, but I did not understand to what degree, really, until yesterday. After an hour of looking excitedly through menus from establishments participating in Restaurant Week (this annual event is magic, don’t even get me started), I decided to flip to the websites of some …

Have you heard? Veganism is all the rage these days. It’s how Anne Hathaway got that bangin’ catsuit body, and how former President Bill Clinton saved his life and lost 20 pounds. It’s how I’ve eaten for three and a half years, with a few moments of weakness at fine restaurants and when dessert cravings strike. My mom and I read Skinny Bitch when I was in high school and decided to experiment with a plant-based diet, and we haven’t looked back! These days, it seems lots of conscious-minded friends are also giving veganism a whirl. Even my food hero…